


A New Life in New York

by fiction_flower



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Break Up, M/M, Non-Famous AU, They're in their early 20s, a tiny bit of past homophobia but nothing big, its based on a song, the other boys are all in it for a little bit, this is just sweet and pretty fluffy?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-16
Updated: 2017-12-16
Packaged: 2019-02-15 11:35:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13030215
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fiction_flower/pseuds/fiction_flower
Summary: A short little drabble based on the song New York by Ed Sheeran. Harry is Louis's new neighbor who he convinces to leave his apartment for the night. They get a little drunk and ride in a taxi around New York. Stories are shared, and friendships are made.





	A New Life in New York

**Author's Note:**

> Hi so this is my first work ever so be easy on me. I sat down at 10:30 with a half baked idea and now here I am posting this at 2am. It's heavily influenced by the song New York by Ed Sheeran. Also features the songs Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy by Big & Rich (not in the way you're probably thinking, sorry) and All I Ask by Adele. If it doesn't make sense, I'm sorry. If it seems vague about a particular part, that's because I made this all up. Any mistakes are mine.

Louis took a deep breath, steeling himself to knock on Harry’s door. But before his knuckles could make contact with the wood, he heard a quiet sniffle from inside. Instinctively, he leaned closer, trying to hear better through the door. But there wasn’t any sound coming from inside the apartment, just an occasional sniffle. He felt himself knocking gently before he could help himself.

“Harry?” he asked timidly. “It’s Louis. Is… is everything okay?” As close as he was to the door, he could hear a quiet, Southern accented “Shit,” followed by a rustling that could only indicate movement. A second later, the door opened, and Louis took half a step back, trying to get a good look at Harry.

“Louis, hi,” Harry said, forcing a smile even as he wiped at his eyes. It was obvious that he had been crying, as his green eyes were puffy and red, and if he looked closely, Louis could see faint tear tracks staining the younger man’s cheeks. He felt his own heart clench in sympathy. Before he could say anything, Harry continued, “Would you like to come in? I can put some tea on.” He offered another watery smile before he turned and walked back into his apartment, leaving Louis to trail behind. As he entered the apartment, Louis noticed the mess of torn open letters and bills on the coffee table in the tiny living room, along with several boxes that had yet to be unpacked.

Louis glanced back up at the other boy, who had seemed to pause in his motions in order to gather his thoughts. Feeling eyes on him, Harry’s head snapped up, smiling sheepishly as he ran a hand through his short hair. “Sorry about the mess,” he offered, although his eyes looked as though they were somewhere far away.  
Louis shook his head, stepping into the kitchen. “Nah, it’s fine, you should see the state my place is in.” Harry, who was still staring dazedly into the other room, didn’t seem to notice that Louis was now standing right beside him. Carefully, so as not to startle the younger boy, Louis reached out to rest a hand on his forearm. 

That seemed to get Harry’s attention, as his eyes darted down to where Louis’s hand was still resting on his skin, then up to meet his eyes. Louis offered him a small smile, then asked “D’you need a hand, love? I’m not great in the kitchen, but I promise I can make a decent cup of tea.” 

Harry smiled, the first real one Louis had seen yet today, and nodded. “Yeah, thanks.” That seemed to stir him to action, and he started maneuvering his way around the kitchen, filling up the kettle before turning to search for mugs and tea bags. As he moved around the small space, Louis couldn’t help but notice how different this boy was from the one he met just a few short weeks ago as he was moving in. That Harry had been bright and friendly, and a little cheeky, in an enticing combination that Louis had immediately decided he wanted to know better. In the time since then, he had reached out to Harry several times, inviting him to a lads night out or an offer to check out their neighbor Lucinda’s new pizza place, but Harry had turned down every offer, always with an apologetic smile and a promise that he would make it out one of these days. But Louis was stubborn, and wasn’t about to give up on the interesting newcomer quite so easily. Even now, as he watched Harry pour the hot water into two different mugs, he was enthralled by everything about the boy, from the tattoos littering his arms to the quirky, Georgia-themed magnets he had hanging on his fridge. 

“Cream or sugar?” Harry asked, pulling Louis from his thoughts.

“Just a splash of cream, thanks,” Louis replied, watching as Harry added a bit of cream to one cup, and then several spoonfuls of sugar, and then a few ice cubes to the other. Unconsciously, Louis screwed up his nose at Harry’s tea. Harry happened to look up at just that moment and see his face, making his own face of confusion in response. Louis shook his head. 

“How could you do that to a perfectly good cup of tea, mate?” he asked, still shaking his head. Harry smiled, a real smile that showed off his dimple, and shrugged. 

“’S how I like it,” he answered simply, passing Louis his cup as he led the way out to the couch. They sat on opposite ends, with Harry tucking both feet up under him as he blew on the hot beverage. Louis followed his example, relaxing into the worn material as he held his own cup in two hands.

“So…” Harry began, looking at Louis as he took a careful sip of his tea. “I’m guessin’ you didn’t come over here just to insult my taste in tea?” 

Louis huffed out a laugh. “You caught me,” he admitted, sending Harry a smile as he took a drink of his tea. “I was actually coming over to ask if you wanted to come see a friend of mine perform tonight.” He could see Harry start to withdraw, excuses already on his lips, so he rushed to add, “Just a night out at a bar, some mates, a couple pints, and some music. I’ll even buy the first round.” 

Harry bit his bottom lip, glancing first at the pile of papers on the coffee table, and then out the window, which offered a view of the building next door. Finally, with a small, almost unnoticeable shake of his head, he looked back to Louis. “Sure, why not?” 

Louis smiled brightly, and Harry’s answering smile almost looked convincing. “That’s sick mate, awesome! I’ll swing by here around 8, and then we can head out.” Harry nodded, then appeared to think of something. 

“What kind of music does your friend play?” Harry asked. Louis grinned.

“Have you ever heard of screamo?” he asked. Harry grew wary immediately, nodding hesitantly. “Don’t worry, it’s nothing like that.” 

~

Several hours later, Harry is very clearly drunk. Earlier, he had clapped along enthusiastically, as Louis’s friend Ed played on guitar, and made fast friends with the bartender, Liam, who is very generous in his pours. The two of them had also talked and laughed and talked some more, growing closer as the night went on. Now, as it nears three in the morning, and Liam announces the last call, Harry’s sitting next to Louis in a booth, his head resting on Louis’s shoulder as the bar slowly clears out around them, holding one of Louis’ hands in both of his, tracing designs on the back of it with one finger and humming softly to himself. 

“Harry?” Louis asks, raising his shoulder a bit to jostle Harry. Harry blinks slowly but lifts his head to look at Louis, a sleepy smile on his face. Louis smiles automatically in response. “It’s time to go, love.” Harry starts to pout, slowly glancing around at the nearly empty bar, then back to Louis.

“I don’t want to go back yet,” he says quietly, looking down at his hands in his lap. Louis watches him for a moment, endeared by this sweet boy, before he’s hit with an idea. 

“Wait right here,” he instructs, sliding his way out of the booth as Harry looks on, confused. Louis sends him a reassuring smile before heading over to the bar. “Liam!” he calls, looking for the buzzcut bartender. When he finally spots him, Louis grins, grabbing for his shoulder. Liam looks skeptical, but raises an eyebrow, inviting Louis to continue. “Can you keep an eye on Harry for a minute? I just have to make a quick phone call,” Louis pleads, using his patented puppy dog face. Liam, used to his antics, simply nods, and adds a quick, “Don’t be too long, I want to get home,” as Louis thanks him and runs outside.

~

One phone call and ten minutes later, Louis steps back inside, finding Harry leaning against the bar and chatting to Liam. He’s still drunk, Georgian accent thicker with alcohol, gesturing wildly and swaying slightly on the spot, and Louis can’t help but be fond of the boy. He sidles up to Harry, wrapping an arm around his waist. 

At the contact, Harry turns to look at him, a slow smile stretching across his face. 

“Hiiiii,” he drawls, swaying closer to Louis, who is sober enough to steady them both. 

“Hi there,” Louis replies with a grin. “You ready to go?”

Harry looks confused, his brows pulling together. “Where’re we goin’?” he asks, even as he starts to follow Louis out the door. Just outside the door sits a typical yellow New York taxi cab, and Louis opens the door to help Harry into the backseat before climbing in after him. 

“Thanks, Niall,” Louis says as he makes sure they’re both buckled in.

“No problem, Lou,” Niall says, grinning at them in the rearview mirror. “Where to, lads?”

Louis turns to Harry, who is already staring, entranced, out the window. Louis grabs his hand, rubbing his thumb across the back of it, as he asks, “Well, Harry, where to?”

Harry, to his credit, still looks dazed and a little drunk, but grins and replies, “To the stars.” Before Louis can react, Harry is giggling to himself, and Niall is nodding, starting to pull away from the curb like he knows just the place. The song playing on the radio changes then, something twangy with a lot of guitar, and Harry sits up, his eyes wide.

“I love this song!” he exclaims, nodding his head at the beat as he starts to belt his heart out to the song, something about saving horses and riding cowboys, which isn’t something Louis is very opposed to.

Louis just shakes his head and leans back against the seat, looking over at Harry. Harry grins lazily back at him, shuffling closer while still holding tight to Louis’s hand. Louis’s mouth suddenly feels very dry. He’s aware of how attractive Harry is, would have to be blind not to be, and he’s also very aware of how clingy a drunk Harry is, and how little room there is between them in the backseat of this cab. Louis is suddenly hit with the idea of what it would be like to kiss Harry. Subconsciously, he licks his lips, and watches as Harry eyes the movement, leaning forward just the smallest bit. Louis glances up, remembers that Niall is sitting oblivious just three feet away, and clears his throat, straightening up in his seat.

“Hey, Ni?” he asks, trying to hide the way his voice cracks just the tiniest bit, “Can you put on Zayn’s show?”

Niall nods, switching the radio station at the same time he switches lanes. The cab is suddenly filled with the voice of Adele, who sings her heart out about her last night with her lover. Louis rolls his eyes a little, quickly remembering that Zayn had broken up with his girlfriend of three weeks and is known to be a right sap sometimes. Harry, on the other hand, immediately tenses up, pulling his hand away and leaning back towards the window to gaze up at the streetlights. Louis watches for a second, bewildered, before gently reaching out a hand to rest on Harry’s knee. 

“Harry? Is everything okay?” he asks quietly, rubbing his thumb into the fabric of Harry’s jeans. Harry nods once, quickly, then pauses before shaking his head. 

“I, uh,” Harry starts, then sniffs and clears his throat. Looks down at his hands, then back out the window, then turns to Louis without meeting his eyes. “Have I told you the story of why I came to New York?” he asks quietly, finally looking up to meet Louis’s eyes. Louis slowly shakes his head, and Harry sighs, nodding to himself. “I didn’t think so. It’s not exactly a fun story.” He wipes at his eyes, seeming much more sober than he had a few minutes ago. Harry takes a deep breath, and Louis takes that moment to squeeze his knee. Harry sends him a small, grateful smile, and begins his story.

“I’ve known I was gay since I was about 5, but I came from this small, backwards town, in the middle of nowhere, Georgia, and they weren’t very welcoming about things like that. So I tried to hide it, tried not to be so obvious. My stepdad, he wasn’t very happy about it when I finally got the courage to come out to him and my mom, and he might’ve kicked me out if it hadn’t been for my momma.” Harry pauses to wipe at his eyes again before he continues, and Louis is surprised to find that his own eyes are wet. “I made it through high school and went off to college, went to University of Georgia, and that’s where I met Brad. He was my RA, and I was head over heels for him from day one. It was probably because I had never met someone who was out and proud before, but he took me under his wing, as sort of like a mentor at first, because I wasn’t used to being around so many people at once. But then we slowly became more than friends, and-“ Harry cuts off abruptly, choking back a sob. Louis immediately scoots closer, wrapping an arm around his shoulders. 

“Shh, it’s okay,” he soothes, “you don’t have to tell me.” He continues to rub Harry’s back until he seems to have calmed down enough to continue, and Harry clears his throat again. 

“He was my first for everything,” Harry says quietly. “And I loved him. We dated for five years, but I could never bring him home, because I knew my stepdad wouldn’t approve. And he seemed okay with that, seemed to understand.” Harry pauses again, takes a deep breath. “He convinced me to move to New York with him. It had always been a dream of his. I still wasn’t too sure about the whole big city thing, but he convinced me. We found our apartment, and it was just perfect for us, and we moved in as quick as we could.” He stops, blinks roughly a couple times, then continues, his voice hard. “Then one night, I run out to pick up dinner, and I come back to find Brad fucking his new assistant on our couch.”

Louis unbuckles his seat belt, sliding over to wrap himself around Harry’s back, rubbing the tops of his arms. From the front seat, he hears Niall mutter some choice curse words. Harry is full on crying now, with big gasping breaths that shake his entire body. 

“Shh, Harry, it’s alright now,” he whispers, trying his best to comfort the boy.

“I gave him everything,” Harry manages through his tears, turning to bury his face in to Louis’s chest. Louis just holds him, rubbing a soothing pattern into Harry’s back. He’s not sure how long they sit like that, only knows that several more sad songs come and go on the radio and that the front of his shirt is soaked through with tears, but that doesn’t matter. He keeps whispering soft words to the boy in his arms, wishing there was a way he could help. 

Eventually, Harry sniffs, and starts to sit back up, wiping at his face. “At least he had the smarts to move out,” he mutters. “But now I’m stuck having to pay a two person rent on my own, and I just don’t know how I’m going to manage it, but I’ll… I’ll figure it out.” Harry grits his teeth, trying to give Louis a smile, but his eyes are still watering and the overall effect is heartbreaking. 

“Move in with me.” It isn’t until the words are out that Louis realizes he said them. Harry is equally confused.

“What?” he asks, still wiping at his eyes. 

“I mean,” Louis hedges, trying to come up with a good enough reason, something that’s not just you’re beautiful and I want to keep you safe so you never have to feel so sad and unloved ever again. What he comes up with is, “Well, it makes sense. My roommate moved out a few weeks ago to be closer to his job, and neither of us can really afford the rent on our own, so. Move in with me.” When Harry continues to just stare at him like he’s grown an extra head, he sighs. “I know it’s not ideal, but-“ 

He’s cut off suddenly by a press of lips against his own. Before he can react, Harry is pulling away, with a blush coloring his cheeks, eyes bright. “Sorry,” he says sheepishly. “I just… I don’t really know what came over me, I just thought ‘I could kiss him right now,’ and so I did, and…” Harry trails off, starting to pull away. Louis grabs his wrist, catching his attention. 

“Harry, I-“

“Lads, we’re here!” Niall announces joyfully. Harry and Louis both look at him, having almost forgotten he was there. Niall meets their eyes in the rearview mirror and grins. “Just step outside for a moment, you’ll thank me when you do.”

Reluctantly, Louis and Harry pull apart, getting out of their own doors. They come around to meet in front of the car, then make their way to a nearby bench, walking close enough that their arms brush. 

And Louis will admit, Niall has done a pretty good job. They’ve made it to the Brooklyn Heights promenade, with the bridge to their right and Manhattan on the other side of the river. At this time of morning, just before sunrise, there’s no one else around. 

Louis looks over at Harry, who looks awestruck at the whole thing, and Louis smiles, inching closer. 

“It’s beautiful,” Harry breathes, still looking at the skyscrapers across the water. Louis, who is still watching Harry take in his surroundings, whispers, “Yeah, it is,” in response. Harry turns to look at him, and Louis blushes, caught. But Harry just grins, reaching out to take Louis’s hand as the sky begins to lighten. 

“Harry, I-“ Louis begins, then shakes his head, looking down at where their hands are entwined. “I want to be completely honest with you, and I want you to know that I think you’re an amazing person that has so much to offer, and I’m sorry that some dickhead broke your heart.” He chances a look up at Harry, who is smiling softly as the world around them gets brighter. Louis swallows. “And I would love the chance to be your roommate, but before you decide you should know that I find you extremely attractive and I’m hoping that maybe we can become more than friends. Not now obviously, considering you just broke up with your boyfriend of five years, and-“

“Lou?” Harry says quietly. Louis stops, looking up at Harry sheepishly. Harry smiles back. “It’s okay,” he says, and Louis releases a breath he didn’t know he was   
holding. “I’m still getting over… everything, and I don’t want to jump into anything too soon.” Louis deflates, nodding as he starts to turn away. Harry pulls him back to face him by tugging on their joined hands. “But…” he continues, starting to grin, “I’d like to give it a shot with you. Let’s be roommates first and then see what happens, okay?”

Louis nods happily, a laugh bubbling up in his chest. “Yes, absolutely, I can do that,” he says, smiling broadly. Harry smiles too, his dimples showing through, and Louis just- “Can I kiss you, Harry?”

Harry, still smiling, nods once and leans in, cupping Louis’s face as the sun rises over the water, and they kiss.


End file.
